Russian Parliament Fears U.S. Will Ditch Russia On Achieving Its Ends In Afghanistan

Some of the Russian MPs express fear that as soon as it achieves its ends in Afghanistan, the United States will ditch Russia. Alexei Arbatov, deputy chairman of the Defense Committee in the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, says that the U.S. may eventually be able to pressure the Taliban into extraditing Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C., and will then quit the region, leaving it to Russia to handle the Afghan war all by itself. Moreover, it may stop all cooperation with Russia in the battle against international terrorism after using this country's help for gaining its own objectives.